Chapter 63

Xixi's birthday had just passed, and the weather grew increasingly bitterly cold.

Winter jasmine stands proud in the bitter winter, dusted with pure white snowflakes; the blue stone slab pavement of Nei Cheng's main street is piled thick with accumulated snow, blindingly white.

Li Che saw off Xu You, who led a team out of the city to exterminate Xiejwei, and returned to his small courtyard located in Clearwind Lane.

Chen Lao sat in a rattan chair under the eaves, drinking old liquor, gazing at the withered old tree in the courtyard, dazed and foolish.

"Chen Lao, what are you thinking about?" Li Che asked curiously as he came back, shaking off the accumulated snow on his oil-paper umbrella.

Chen Lao's focus returned, he shook his head: "When one gets old, it's easy to become dazed..."

In a while, the Divine Sect will send people to Fēiléichéng to select spirit children…… If Xixi remains safe during this period, she will likely be chosen to enter the Divine Sect……

"Chen Lao…… I fear it will be hard to see Xixi from now on."

Chen Lao sighed, picked up his liquor gourd, and took a few gulps.

Having spent a long time with the child, if they truly had to part for a long time, Chen Lao would indeed feel his heart constricted, with endless loneliness and worry seeping in.

He worries that after he passes away… he won't be able to see the child.

"Then why don't you just come with us to the Divine Sect to accompany Xixi in her cultivation?"

Li Che said softly.

Chen Lao rolled his eyes, looking at Li Che like he was an idiot: "Ah Che…… you're still too young."

"The Divine Sect only allows family members to accompany disciples; if Xixi enters the sect to cultivate, how could I possibly have the qualifications to go with her?" Chen Lao shook his head; after all, he's several decades old, and he still knows some of the Divine Sect's inner workings.

Li Che couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing that: "Don't worry…… Xixi won't abandon you."

"It's just going with them to the Divine Sect, no problem……"

Chen Lao shook his head; would the rules of such a colossal entity as the Divine Sect easily change for you?

Li Che and Chen Lao chatted a bit more, then Li Che planned to head to the independent workshop to work on his cultivation.

However, before he even stepped out, a rustling of footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Li Che looked up, and the wind and snow were torn apart.

Two figures clad in crane cloaks walked over the soft accumulated snow and lightly knocked on the wide-open courtyard gate.

"Li Shifu, are you in?"

The visitors were none other than Xu Helì and Xu Beihu.

"Congratulations, Li Shifu, on your promotion to Ten Prefectures Wood Carving Master—what joy, truly a fortunate affair for Xu's." Xu Helì smiled gently, a divine treasure sword at his waist.

His gaze held a hint of astonishment and fervor as he looked at Li Che.

Xu Helì truly never imagined that a mud‑legged struggler from Wai Cheng who had risen from obscurity could become a wood carving master.

"Just luck." Li Che replied with a clasped‑fist salute.

It's obvious that Xu's doesn't value this wood carving master as much as one might think; otherwise, the one coming would not be Xu Helì but the family head Xu Nanming.

Is a wood carving master not worthy of the family head's personal overture?

Old godly Chen Dabao, upon hearing that Li Che had actually become a wood carving master, jumped up from his rattan chair in shock, his jaw dropping.

"What the heck, the guy who taught Li Che wood carving doesn't even know? No trust, huh?"

Chen Lao stared at Li Che, uncertain and suspicious.

But he was, after all, an old hand in the jianghu; he quickly calmed down, keeping many thoughts to himself without voicing them.

Xu Helì's side, Xu Beihu likewise had a complex expression, the shock in his heart not yet digested.

"A wood carving master relies on genuine skill, true craftsmanship—how could it be achieved by luck alone?"

"Master Li, don't be modest; I heard you carved a 'Three Immortals Riding an Ox, Contemplating the Sword' for your third younger brother yesterday…… I wonder…… could Xu Helì ask Master Li for a piece of divine wood carving?"

Xu Helì clasped his fists and said.

"Five hundred gold leaves, I'll provide the design, I'll provide the spirit wood; although Li Shifu is Xu's wood carver, according to the wood carving master's rules, Xu's won't take a cut……"

Five hundred gold, one wood carving.

That truly counts as a heavenly price.

But for divine cultivators, a divine wood carving can help ease their monthly ordeal of bitter cultivation, naturally making it worthwhile.

After all, to forge a divine foundation in cultivation…… one must seize every moment.

Li Che looked at Xu Helì in astonishment, coming straight to ask for a divine wood carving?

Xu's reaction to Li Che becoming a wood carving master was indeed…… somewhat beyond Li Che's expectations.

Chen Dabao beside him also furrowed his brow.

Li Che thought carefully; the Chess Saint's Dao fruit greatly enhanced his reasoning and thinking abilities.

He quickly figured out the reason.

"Head steward, I've just become a wood carving master; carving that statue for Xu You consumed a lot of mental energy, so I'm temporarily not taking orders……" Li Che shook his head, refusing this deal.

It's not that Li Che doesn't want to earn these five hundred gold leaves.

Rather, Li Che plans to officially assault the Meridian Opening Realm in the coming days, so that his qi and blood martial arts will have more confidence.

Li Qing Shan said he would take Li Che to Guiyi Miao; Li Che valued this greatly, but also remained cautious—greater strength naturally means greater safety.

Xu Helì's smile gradually faded; he hadn't expected Li Che to refuse, even though the reason was reasonable.

But he still felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.

"Then I'll trouble Master Li; Xu Helì will come again another day to ask for a statue……" Xu Helì composed his emotions, clasped his fists in salute.

After Li Che returned the salute, Xu Helì and Xu Beihu, the two brothers, turned and left.

Chen Lao watched the two's retreating backs, brow furrowed: "Ah Che, this order…… you actually should take it."

"Fēiléichéng is likely about to undergo a major upheaval, which is why Xu's attitude toward the wood carving master has shifted; they worry that after investing resources, you'll just walk away…… but if you take the order, at least Xu's attitude will ease somewhat."

Li Che opened his oil-paper umbrella and smiled: "No problem."

"Chen Lao…… I now have the confidence to refuse taking orders."

Having finished speaking, he took his umbrella and stepped into the snow.

Chen Dabao stared at Li Che, somewhat dazed for a moment.

He could not superimpose the composed, confident youth before him with the nervous, timid figure who once sought his help at Xu Ji Mu diao Pu in Wai Cheng.

Time, can it really bring about such a great change in a person?

……

……

Inside the luxurious carriage, the stove water boiled.

Misty water vapor rose thickly inside the carriage.

Xu Heli wore no expression, leaning against the soft chair, watching the flying snow outside the carriage window.

"Looks like I misjudged…… I never imagined that the country bumpkin of back then could one day become a woodcarving master……"

"The fish has leapt over the Dragon Gate, a world-shaking change."

Xu Beihu poured a cup of tea for Xu Heli and sighed.

"This is talent…… To be able to produce a superior spiritual child like Li Nuanxi, one's own talent must certainly be extraordinary."

"What a pity……" Xu Heli shook his head.

Recalling the old master's words, Xu Heli slightly lowered his eyelids, a flash of malice crossing his face.

You carve wood sculptures for free for Old Three, yet I offer five hundred gold leaves and you won't even take the order……

What sheer audacity!

Give face, yet shameless……

Closing his eyes slowly, Xu Heli said to Xu Beihu: "Go to the lord's manor, find Zhao Xuanhai, and tell him that Li Che has become a woodcarving master—hasn't he always wanted Li Che to carve wood sculptures?"

"Just the thing to fulfill his wish."

Upon hearing this, Xu Beihu's hand that was pouring tea jerked to a halt.

The boiling tea spilled out.

……

……

The sky gradually darkened, snow flying everywhere.

Like goose-down snowflakes, they drifted down upon the world, carrying a biting chill.

On the long street, passersby grew ever fewer.

Although Nei Cheng is more prosperous than Wai Cheng, its population is even smaller; thus, once night falls, hardly any pedestrians are seen.

Zhao Xuanhai wore a straw hat, one hand tucked into his chest, his burly stature like a bear walking the world; despite the deep snow, his passage left no footprints.

"This Li Che…… has actually become a woodcarving master, interesting."

"What a genius; the lord will surely like it—if the lord's 'Thousand Buddha Carving Feast' can secure a woodcarving master, it will surely succeed."

Most woodcarving masters have been tied to Shijia Zhuzu for years and are hard to move.

A newly risen, wild woodcarving master—what a tempting prize!

"The Xu family, too, is straightforward: knowing they cannot stop the lord's 'Thousand Buddha Carving Feast,' they simply chose to sell this newly risen woodcarving master."

"No wonder they came from a merchant background—indeed cold-blooded, pursuing only profit."

He lifted his gaze to the independent workshop in the alley, and the Xu family directly revealed the workshop's location to him.

"Li Che, Li Che……"

"Back then I offered you silver to drink a toast, but you refused; now…… you had better drink the penalty wine."

Zhao Xuanhai stepped down, pulled an angry boy's mask from his bosom, and placed it over his face.

Wind and snow filled the sky.

Everything seemed to sink into stagnation, as if being melted away by flames.

……

……

Inside the independent workshop.

Li Che sat quietly upright, the flying snow swaying to and fro.

But just as it was about to land on his hair tips, an invisible force twisted and tore it apart.

Before him, Li Che had crafted a chessboard from nan wood, its vertical and horizontal lines laid out—yet the board held not a single piece, empty and bare.

He lightly placed his palm over the board.

In an instant.

Within his chest.

The Dao Fruit 【Chess Sage】 trembled violently.

His spirit instantly soared; the divine lines boiling and intertwining between heaven and earth coalesced into an invisible chessboard, like crisscrossing field paths.

Li Che slowly opened his eyes.

He saw……

At the alley's entrance, Zhao Xuanhai slowly pulled out an angry child's mask and placed it over his face……

Seeing him step by step approach the workshop in the alley.

Like a black piece on a chessboard.

Unable to wait……

Walking toward a death.

ps: A piece of bad news—it's made the new book rankings, rushing to the Three Rivers…… more challenging now; good news, our backend fake reads have exceeded three thousand—if we keep it up, we hope to grow a bit more, so Lao Li continues to beg for reads! Tomorrow Monday is the day to rush the Three Rivers—everyone give a wave of support! Lao Li kowtows in thanks!

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(End of chapter)